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IMDbPro

Witness

  • 19851985
  • RR
  • 1h 52m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
97K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,727
876
Harrison Ford and Lukas Haas in Witness (1985)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer1:19
3 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaRomanceThriller
When a young Amish boy is sole witness to a murder while visiting Philadelphia with his mother, police detective John Book tries to protect the boy until an attempt on Book's life forces him... Read allWhen a young Amish boy is sole witness to a murder while visiting Philadelphia with his mother, police detective John Book tries to protect the boy until an attempt on Book's life forces him into hiding in Amish country.When a young Amish boy is sole witness to a murder while visiting Philadelphia with his mother, police detective John Book tries to protect the boy until an attempt on Book's life forces him into hiding in Amish country.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
97K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,727
876
    • Peter Weir
    • William Kelley(story by)
    • Pamela Wallace(story by)
    • Earl W. Wallace(story by)
  • Stars
    • Harrison Ford
    • Kelly McGillis
    • Lukas Haas
    • Peter Weir
    • William Kelley(story by)
    • Pamela Wallace(story by)
    • Earl W. Wallace(story by)
  • Stars
    • Harrison Ford
    • Kelly McGillis
    • Lukas Haas
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 242User reviews
    • 106Critic reviews
    • 76Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Oscars

    Videos3

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:19
    Watch Official Trailer
    'Witness' | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:10
    Watch 'Witness' | Anniversary Mashup
    What Roles Has Harrison Ford Turned Down?
    Video 4:33
    Watch What Roles Has Harrison Ford Turned Down?

    Photos112

    Lukas Haas in Witness (1985)
    Harrison Ford, Viggo Mortensen, and Jan Rubes in Witness (1985)
    Harrison Ford in Witness (1985)
    Alexander Godunov in Witness (1985)
    Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis in Witness (1985)
    Harrison Ford, Lukas Haas, Viggo Mortensen, Alexander Godunov, and Jan Rubes in Witness (1985)
    Kelly McGillis in Witness (1985)
    Lukas Haas in Witness (1985)
    Jan Rubes in Witness (1985)
    Harrison Ford in Witness (1985)
    Brent Jennings in Witness (1985)
    Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Viggo Mortensen, and Alexander Godunov in Witness (1985)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Harrison Ford
    Harrison Ford
    • John Book
    Kelly McGillis
    Kelly McGillis
    • Rachel
    Lukas Haas
    Lukas Haas
    • Samuel
    Josef Sommer
    Josef Sommer
    • Schaeffer
    Jan Rubes
    Jan Rubes
    • Eli Lapp
    Alexander Godunov
    Alexander Godunov
    • Daniel Hochleitner
    Danny Glover
    Danny Glover
    • McFee
    Brent Jennings
    Brent Jennings
    • Carter
    Patti LuPone
    Patti LuPone
    • Elaine
    Angus MacInnes
    Angus MacInnes
    • Fergie
    Frederick Rolf
    • Stoltzfus
    Viggo Mortensen
    Viggo Mortensen
    • Moses Hochleitner
    John Garson
    • Bishop Tchantz
    Beverly May
    • Mrs. Yoder
    Ed Crowley
    Ed Crowley
    • Sheriff
    Timothy Carhart
    Timothy Carhart
    • Zenovich
    Sylvia Kauders
    Sylvia Kauders
    • Tourist Lady
    Marian Swan
    • Mrs. Schaeffer
      • Peter Weir
      • William Kelley(story by) (screenplay by)
      • Pamela Wallace(story by)
      • Earl W. Wallace(story by) (screenplay by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    The Life and Times of Harrison Ford

    The Life and Times of Harrison Ford

    Take a look back at Harrison Ford's movie career in photos.
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In preparation for her role, Kelly McGillis lived with an actual Amish widow and her seven children for a while before filming began to get the speech cadence down and to observe the daily life of an Amish widowed mother.
    • Goofs
      John Book's Volkswagen hit the birdhouse and broke its windshield. Later the car is seen in the barn with an unbroken windshield.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Eli Lapp: [to John Book] You be careful out among them English!

    • Crazy credits
      For Tom Scott. Scott was a member of the casting department on Witness.
    • Alternate versions
      In the VHS version, just after John Book is shot, we see a close-up of his gun and a voice-over from an earlier conversation Book had with the captain. We hear the words: "Who else knows about this? "Just you and me." In the DVD version, we see the close-up of the gun and then it segues to Book's sister waking up Rachel and her son Samuel, minus the voice-over.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Songwriter/Nineteen Eighty-Four/Witness/Mrs. Soffel (1985)
    • Soundtracks
      (What a) Wonderful World
      (1959)
      Written by Sam Cooke, Herb Alpert and Lou Adler
      Performed by Greg Chapman
      Courtesy of Abkco Music, Inc.

    User reviews242

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Witness This Film!
    Harrison Ford is one of those actors that often times just shows up and then there lies his character. This is the Harrison Ford school of acting. Not the case in "Witness". I won't begin to wonder what would have caused this change of pace, but it was quite a surprise to see. Peter Weir is a favorite director of mine, mainly for his life changing films (for the viewer and the characters alike), like "Picnic at Hanging Rock" and "Fearless" ... and I have sadly waited a very long time to get around to this one. Even 17 years after its initial release, it seems to still stand up with themes that truly speak. I expected some sort of a courtroom drama, but instead found a film that presents a dichotomy between old world and new world values and sensibilities and really asks whether change is always for the best. This is a profound and exciting thriller.
    helpful•29
    3
    • postmanwhoalwaysringstwice
    • Feb 18, 2003

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    Photos

    FAQ7

    • What is "Witness" about?
    • Is this movie based on a book?
    • What language do the Amish speak in this film?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 8, 1985 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
      • German
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Paul Krantz Farm - 758 Bunker Hill Road, Strasburg, Pennsylvania, USA
    • Production companies
      • Paramount Pictures
      • Edward S. Feldman Production
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 52 minutes
      • Dolby Stereo

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